Carlsbad high school shut down for second day due to instagram threat of violence [VIDEO]

CARLSBAD (CNS) – An anonymous online threat prompted a lockdown and cancellation of classes at Carlsbad High School Monday and Tuesday.

Teachers were directed to secure all students in their classrooms at the Monroe Street campus about 10 a.m., according to school district officials. Authorities did not disclose the nature of the threat, which had been posted on the social-networking service Instagram.

Students were kept locked inside for a little over an hour as officers performed a sweep of the grounds and buildings, finding nothing hazardous. At 11:15 a.m., campus administrators released all students for the day as police continued to investigate.

Early this evening, Carlsbad Unified School District Superintendent Suzette Lovely announced that Carlsbad High and Carlsbad Village Academy would be closed Tuesday as an “added safety measure” and “in an abundance of caution.” It was unclear why the second school was included in the precautionary action.

All other CUSD schools were to be open and operating as usual, Lovely stated in a message on the high school’s website.

The district posted the following statement on their website:

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding an incident that occurred today at Carlsbad High School.

This morning, January 5, 2015, Carlsbad High School administrators were made aware of a threat to CHS via Instagram.

In consultation with the Carlsbad Police Department, CHS was placed in lock down status as a precautionary measure.

After it was determined by Carlsbad Police Department that the campus was safe, students were released at 11:15 a.m. for the remainder of the day while the matter was investigated.Both Carlsbad High School and Carlsbad Village Academy families have been kept apprised of the situation by their principals via email and phone messages throughout the day. In addition the district website was updated as information became available.

In consultation with Carlsbad Police Department – and in an abundance of caution – it has been determined to keep our CHS and CVA campuses closed through tomorrow, January 6, 2015, due to the nature of the threat and as an added safety measure.

All other schools in the District shall remain open. The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority.

If you or your children have any information that could assist in the investigation, please contact the Carlsbad Police Department or our Director of Pupil Services, Tim Evanson, at [email protected] The loss of this instructional day (or any additional days lost by future threats) may need to be made up later this school year.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this difficult and unfortunate situation.

Wayne Dupree is owner and founder of WayneDupree.com. He was named to the 2017 Newsmax’s 50 Most Influential African-American Republicans. He served in the USAF between 1987-1995. He saw time in Operation Desert Storm/Shield and is the father of three. He is the host of the Wayne Dupree Show.